I have some beautiful birds eye maple that I plan to resaw into veneer. It is my plan to use this veneer as part of a dresser and veneer the sides and drawer fronts. I have never done this type of veneer work and I am hoping someone can help answer some questions.
- How thick should I try to make the veneer?
- I plan to use plywood sides for the dresser and veneer over the plywood. Do I need to veneer both sides of the plywood? If so can I veneer the inside with a thin plywood or MDF rather than another hardwood?
- I plan to veneer the birds eye over the top of 4/4 solid maple for the drawer fronts. Do I need to use a backer veneer in this case?
- Any other words of wisdom you can give me for using resawn veneer?
Replies
re-sawn veneer
When re-sawing to make veneer you will want to keep the thickness to 1/8” or less. (1/16” is preferred) Anything more is considered thin lumber.
A good quality substrate is essential. A good quality plywood is a good choice. The more ply’s the better. MDF is also good.
To minimize “Pull” you will want to veneer both sides. This subject is a bit controversial but I have found it best to veneer both sides. The back side is almost always a lower quality veneer.
I once veneered an 8” wide piece of solid wood on one side only. After a couple months the board was cupped just under 1/8” in the middle due to the Pull effect. Lesson learned. ALWAYS veneer both sides of solid wood…..
A drum sander is a great luxury to have and if you’re lucky enough to have one, you will find it indispensible for flattening your lumber after it comes out of the bandsaw.
A simple sled on your planer can be also used to get rid of re-saw marks but be careful here. You will have varying degrees of success depending on the thickness and grain of your veneer. Highly figured material doesn’t work well with this method, nor does material 1/16” or less. (at least for me)
Thanks for the information, and sharing your experience.
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